Refrigerating machine



Dec. 8, 1931. F A, POLLARD REFRIGERATING MACHINE Filed July 20. 1927 ,i l 3 /NVENTOR BYVEMWLL# l A T TCR/V 75 Patented Dec. 8i, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRDRIG AUGUSTIN roLLAnD, or VINCENNES, FRANCE mmenmirme nuclei-:Nn

Application led .Tuly 20, 1927, Serial No. 207,093, and in France July 28, 1926.

The resent invention relatesto a compression re rigerating machine in which a gas at low or moderate pressure, such for example as ethyl chloride, sulphur dioxide or methyl chloride is employed. Apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention is char'- acterized by a very great simplicity of construction, an automatic regulation and a complete security of working. In common with all machines of this type the refrigerating apparatus comprises a vaporizer of the refrigerating agent or refrigerator, a compressor,

a condenser and a regulator or distributor of the liquefied gas.-

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. v1 represents diagrammatically the whole of the machine, Fig. 2 is a view of a section of the compressor, Fig. 3 is a view of a section of the regulator.

The vaporizer or refrigerator 1 is of any known type and comprises a coil 2. The co'mpressor 3 of the rotating type sucks the vapours of the refrigerating agent out of the coil l2', and consists of six vanes et carried .on a hollow drum 5 on the axle of whichV is fixed a driving pulley 6. The vanes 4 slide Y in radial groves constructed in the drum 5. A cylindrical roller 7 placed in the middle of the apparatus maintains the vanes 4 in contact with the interior wall of the cylinder. The eccentricity ofl the drum 5 determines the width of the vanes, which are portions of cylinders and always present an. uninterrupted line of contact with the cylinder 8.

The cooling of the compressor can be ef-v fected by a circulation of water in an envelope for this purpose.-

The interior lubrication is eil'ected by the circulation of a suitable lubricant such as oil or Glycerine introduced through a tube 9 into a circular channel 10 surrounding the axle of the drum 5 and from there into the chamber 11 ofthe drum 5 through a passage 12 and small holes 13. Cntrifugal force projects the lubricant across the openings in which the vanes slide and into the cylinder 8. The lubricant is led olf by a tubeli with the vapours of the lubricating agent into the separator 15 to be describedV below, from 50 whence it flows to the compressor by a simple difference of pressure. y This arrangement assures, besides an abundant lubrication of the moving members, a perfect interior tightness vwhich permits a superior volumetric yield to be obtained.

' e'separator 15 consists of a simple vertical tube 16 of large cross section communieating at its extremities with the condenser 17, of known form, in which it can be placed eo in order to simplify its construction. The lower part of the tube 16 is situated at a short distance from the bottom of the condenser 17. The tube 14 collects the mixture of vapours and lubricant and discharges the same into the tube 16; the lubricant falls to the bottom and the vapours pass up towards the condenser itself, through a series of perforated baiiles 18 which completely free the vapours from 'drops of lubricant sus- 70 pended therein. y

The arrangement represented in Fig. 1 is. applied in the case'where the lubricant is more dense than the liquefied gas as, for example, when the latter is ethyl chloride and the former is glycerine. It is seen that even if there were traces of lubricant suspended `in these vapours they would finally rejoin the initial charge of glycerine by means of the condensed gas. 80

The tube 9 passing to the bottom of the'. separator supplies lubricant to the compressor by difference in pressure. Another tubel 19, the length of which is determined by the maxim-um heightof the -initial level of the lubricant, conductsthe liquefied gasto the refrigerator 1 by means of the regulator 20 to be described below.

The apparatus regulating the flow of liquelied gas to therefrigerator is a novel form '90 with respect to those which have for their object the assuring of the suction by the compressor of dry saturated vapours which implies the attainment of the maximum yield of the machine.

The regulating apparatus is formed by a hollow disk 21 with thin elastic walls, such as are employed in the construction of aneroid barometers, actuating a rod of small diameter 22, thus obstructing or o ening the orifice 23 through which the lique ed gas passes. This hollow disk 21 is partially filled with the same gas as that employed in the machine, the quantity of gas ybeing such that the vapours thereof are always saturated.

Before the partial filling of this disk, its

settin and the length of the rod 22 are regulate in such a manner that the orifice 23 is always exactly closed without advance or retard. Once this regulation is effected 'in definite manner, the disk is charged and sealed. i The disk 21 is situated in the path of the vapours sucked by the compressor through the tube 24. The rod 22 constricted at 25 controls the flow of the liquefied gas to the refrigerator. When this iiow is insuiicient to employ the whole of the surface of the coil 2, the vapours become slightly superheated by their passage through the refrigerating zone which is at a higher temperature than that of vaporization. The vapours therefore convert the disk 21 and its contents toftheir own temperature and develop an .increased interior pressure which dilates the said disk, and by means of the rod 22 opens a passage to the liquefied gas. As soon as this gas arrives saturated ,at the disk 21, this contracts and recloses the passage.

In practice the exchange of the temperatures of the vapours under suction and of the gas contained in the disk 21 is not instantaneous and the movements of the rod 22 are made with a slight lagwhich prevents any abrupt displacement'of this rod.V A rapid and perfect regulation followswithout exterior intervention, whatever are the possible variations of the system of working.

What I claim is 1.' In a refrigerating machine, a refrigerating agent, a vaporizer therefor, a rotary compressor formed with an open lubricant passage including a lubricant inlet positioned adjacent the axis of rotation thereof, said passage communicating directly with the in terior of said compressor whereby rotation of said compressor draws lubricant through said passage by centrifugal action, a regulator for controlling the flow of the liquefied gas, and a condenser formed with a lower portion for receiving a lubricant which is continuously circulated through said condenser and through the cylinder of the compressor, means for conducting lubricant from the' -lower portion of said condenser to said passage, discharge means for said condenser receivlng the compressed refrigerating agent and the discharged lubricant, a se arating cylinder in said condenser having t e lower end thereof open and normally sealed bythe lubricant within said condenser and the upper end thereof open to permit the escape of said compressed refrigerating agent and a tubular member for conducting the discharge from said compressor to an intermediate portion of said separating cylinder.

2. In a refrigerating machine, a refrigerating agent, a vaporizer therefor, a rotary compressor formed with an open lubricant passage including a lubricant inlet positioned adjacent the axis of rotation thereof, said passa e communcating directly with the interior of said compressor whereb rotation of said compressor draws lu ricant through said passage b centrifugal action, a regulator for control ing the fiow of the liquefied gas, and a condenser formed with a lower portion forv receiving a lubricant, means for 'conducting lubricant from the lower portion of said condenser to said passage, discharge means for said condenser receiving the compressed refrigerating agent and the discharged lubricant, a separating cylinder in said condenser having the lower end thereofl open and normally sealed by the lubricant within said condenser and the upper end thereof open to permit the escape of said compressed refrigerating agent and a tubular member for conducting the discharge from said compressor to an intermediate portion of said separating cylinder, and apertured baies positloned between the discharge outlet from said discharge means and-the open upper end of said separating cylinder by means of which the vapours of the refrigerating agent are freed from lubricant suspended therein.

3. In a refrigerating machine, a refriger- 'ating agent, a vaporizer therefor, a rotary compressor formed with an open lubricant passage including a lubricant inlet positioned adjacent the axis of rotation thereof, said passage communicating directly with the interior of said compressor whereby rotationl of said compressor draws lubricant through said passage by centrifugal action, a regulator for controlling the iiow of the liquefied gas, and a condenser formed with a lower portion for receiving a lubricant, means for conducting lubricant from the lower portion of said condenser to said passage, discharge means for said condenser receiving the compressed refrigerating agent and the discharged lubricant, a separating cylinder in said condenser having the lower end thereof open and normally sealed by the lubricant within said condenser and the upper end thereof open to permit the escape of said compressed refrigerating agent and a tubular member for conductlng the discharge from said compressor to an intermediate portion of said separating cylinder, said compressorincluding a hollow slotted drum' rotatable on a fixed axis, a lurality of radially movable blades carrie thereby and a spacingroller positioned Within said drum and engaged with the inner ends of said blades :for maintaining the same projectedto variable extents. l

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature. i

FRDRIC AUGUSTIN POLLARD. 

